Eupodotis senegalensis
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The white-bellied bustard or white-bellied korhaan (Eupodotis senegalensis) is an African species of bustard. It is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa in grassland and open woodland habitats. Despite its wide distribution and easily identifiable characteristics, very few studies have been conducted on this species and little is known about its life history and behavior.
It is one of the smaller bustards, 48 to 61 centimetres (19 to 24 in) long. All are tawny brown above and on the breast and white on the belly, with cream-coloured legs; juveniles have light brown necks and heads, and adults have blue-grey necks. The adult female has a grey crown, a brown and buff line below the eye, and black speckling on the throat. The adult male has a black crown, black lines on the white cheeks, a black throat patch, and a pinkish-red bill. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism; the males are larger than the females. The call, often given in the early morning and late evening, has been described as "a very loud, guttural k'whuka WHUKa, k'wuka WHUKa..., or k'warrak, k'warrak..."
This species is usually seen in pairs or family groups, as young stay with their parents much longer... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 2 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 11 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 12 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 15 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maiduguri | 🇳🇬 Nigeria |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Ain Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 2 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Bustard sighting in Meru National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 171st most-seen of the 243 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Bustard in Meru National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, April and November, the lowest months. That is one of Meru National Park's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain against almost none in July. May and July–August have too few records to rate.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-bellied Bustard sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
12th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate White-bellied Bustard sightings, Meru National Park ranks 12th at about 10%. The best odds are in Awash National Park (Ethiopia, about 40%), Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 40%) and Amboseli National Park (Kenya, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Otididae
The closest relatives of the White-bellied Bustard that you can see in Meru National Park (family Otididae, Bustards) are Kori Bustard (about 20%), Hartlaub's Bustard (about 20%) and Black-bellied Bustard (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-bellied Bustard is recorded against all the birds logged in Meru National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
